Breastfeeding in car shocks police

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A woman spotted breastfeeding an unrestrained baby in the front seat of a car the day after an unrestrained 12-week-old died after a car crash has dismayed a senior Waikato police officer.

Members of the public reported a front-seat passenger in a Mazda Familia breastfeeding a baby in her lap at The Base in Te Rapa at 11.43am today.

District road policing manager Inspector Freda Grace said to hear of such an incident was a bitter disappointment.

A baby girl died yesterday after a crash in the King Country on Monday. She had been travelling unrestrained in her mother's lap.

Grace called on all motorists to reflect on their driving behaviour.

A police foot patrol tried to get to the vehicle before it left The Base, but the driver had gone and units were trying to find and stop the car.

Police have named the dead baby as Alexandria Grace Navacilla, of Taumarunui. She died in Starship children's hospital in Auckland after suffering critical injuries in a crash on State Highway 4 near Aria.

"To now hear yesterday's loss hasn't deterred other parents or motorists travelling around with unsecured children in their cars reinforces why police will be running checkpoints throughout the week checking car restraints as just one part of the Road Safety Week campaign," Grace said.

Police have also released the name of a woman killed in a road smash south of Hamilton shortly before 6pm on Monday.

"In this crash the northbound yellow Mazda car driven by 22-year-old Hamilton woman, Beant Kaur, has crossed the centre-line and collided first with one southbound car then three other vehicles, including a truck, near the intersection with McFall Rd," police said.

"In expressing our sympathies to both families for their loss police are urging other motorists to make every day a road safety day and ensure they are doing all they can to make Waikato roads a safe place to travel."